Academic Enrichment Classes

Summer 2026 Academic Enrichment Class Offerings

Our high school’s Summer 2026 Academic Enrichment Program offers students a dynamic selection of courses designed to strengthen skills, spark creativity, and inspire deeper learning. Students can build essential Study Skills and Test-Taking Strategies, explore their creativity through Fine Arts, and engage with the world around them in Social Studies. Hands-on Science and STEM courses encourage curiosity and problem-solving, while English classes help sharpen reading, writing, and communication. Opportunities in Theology invite students to reflect, question, and grow in their understanding of faith. Together, these offerings provide a well-rounded, engaging summer learning experience that supports both academic growth and personal enrichment.

Take a look below to explore our full list of Summer 2026 class offerings!

Please note, minimum enrollment per course needed in order to run courses. Notification of cancellation will be shared by May 1. Payment for course due at time of registration. Requests for refunds/student cancellations will not be honored after April 1. 

Registration coming soon!

Instructors: Mr. Jude Clymer (Math Faculty) and Mr. Jon Bishop (Theology Faculty)
Course Dates: June 29-July 23
Course Times: Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Cost: $800/Student
Location: TBD

Description
This course is designed to help students feel confident and prepared to take the SAT and ACT. Students can expect a rigorous and in-depth study of both the mathematical and linguistic content found on the SAT and ACT. This course will offer information about what is covered on the tests, test-taking strategies, and the logistics of the tests. This will include honing in on students’ strengths and weaknesses, drilling practice problems, and taking practice tests.  

Each student is required to have an acceptable calculator.

Instructors: Mr. John Rolleri, Science Faculty
Course Dates: June 29-July 2, July 6-10
Course Times: Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Cost: $600/Student
Location: TBD

Description
This introductory course for middle and high school students explores the fundamentals of digital photography through hands-on practice and guided instruction. Students will learn what makes a strong photograph, key photography terms, and how to use shutter speed, ISO, and aperture to control exposure. The class also covers essential lighting techniques and creative decision-making to help students capture clear, expressive images. By the end of the course, students will have a solid technical foundation and a small portfolio showcasing their growth. 

Students will have their own camera and lens.

Instructors: Mr. Enrique Lopez, Social Studies Faculty
Course Dates: July 6-9
Course Times: Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Cost: $300/Student
Location: TBD

Description
 A specialty course designed focused on the art of Rhetoric, public speaking, debating, and persuasive arguments. Students can expect a customized curriculum that relies heavily on their participation, input, and debate topics of interest. In general, these classes will involve moving around, A LOT of public speaking, and writing that helps focus their ideas, take notes, and make edits to material to denote where emphasis/meaning should be included.

Students will be able to: 

  • Communicate confidently 
  • Speak to a wide-range and diverse audience with comprehensive knowledge of their topic(s)
  • Emote, empathize, and understand their topics when presenting 
  • Provide clear and repeatable methods of presenting topics that can be utilized across multiple formats
  • Debate confidently, respectfully, and accurately using both their topics and debate standards as tools to persuade their peers and/or audience

Recommended for rising 7th-12th grade students.

Instructor: Mr. Enrique Lopez, Social Studies Faculty
Course Dates: July 20-23
Course Times: Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Cost: $300/Student
Location: TBD

Description
This course will introduce and prepare incoming high school students and/or middle school students to what to expect in a High School environment. Students can expect a generalized overview of the skills, behaviors, and attitudes needed for academic and personal success.  

This course aims at presenting interested students with a full overview of what “STAndardizing” their academic practices looks like while preparing them for the rigor expected of a high school student. Students with ample questions about high school, a drive for preparation, and/or an eagerness to succeed are encouraged to apply! 

Students will be able to: 

  • Identify, recognize, interpret, and execute instructions 
  • Share and collaborate on best practices for academic success
  • Understand the impact of added responsibilities may have on personal and academic organization
  • Navigate a complex high school schedule and instructor expectations
  • Self-reflect on their goals for their education and where their interests fall

Recommended for STA transfer students in addition to those listed above.

Instructor: Dr. Kelleigh Kennedy-MacInnis
Course Dates: July 20-24
Course Times: Monday-Thursday, 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Cost: $300/Student
Location: Chemistry Lab (Room 407)

Description
This summer program aims to strengthen and expand upon student’s science abilities and curiosities. This intensive will build on core physical science concepts to prepare students for future high school science courses. Students will dive into the history of the atom and build models of atoms, learn about the unique organization of the periodic table, perform lab investigations to characterize and understand the properties of matter, and compete in challenges to improve lab techniques, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. This course is appropriate for anyone with a love of science and a desire to improve lab skills and physical science knowledge. 

Recommended for incoming high school students.

Instructor: Dr. Kelleigh Kennedy-MacInnis
Course Dates: July 20-24, July 27-31
Course Times: Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Cost: $600/Student
Location: Chemistry Lab (Room 407)

Description
In many cases of disease, personalizing the medicine for every individual’s unique genetic sequence to the specific mutated protein to a specialized medicine to fit perfectly to that mutated protein, is the future of treatment. This summer program aims to dive deep into biochemistry, molecular biology, and medical chemistry to look at how this process works from genes to medicinal synthesis reactions. Students will isolate and extract genes then express these genes to grow proteins of interest which will then be isolated and purified. Students will also take a computational approach and look at computer modeling to help identify unique pharmacological targets and drug design. Finally, students will model the process of medicinal chemistry by completing an organic synthesis reaction.  

Recommended for current high school students only (completed biology)

Instructor: Mr. Jon Bishop
Course Dates: July 27-31
Course Times: Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Cost: $300/Student
Location: TBD

Description
We live in a video-based culture, which means that most of our formation comes from television, film, and social media. The Church, rather than run from this new reality, encourages us to meet people where they are. In that spirit, this course, which will be aimed at eighth graders, will demonstrate that many popular films can, in fact, communicate profound faith-based messages, often in surprising ways. We will study a variety of contemporary films, which could include The Lego Movie, The Prince of Egypt, Spider-Man 2, and Queen of Katwe, among others.

The format will be as follows: 

1. General Introduction: What can stories teach us? How might we learn lessons about faith from stories? Overview of the course.
2. Themes: Vocation and the call to holiness, Service/Works of Mercy, Prayer.
3. Structure: Students will receive an overview of the particular theme, the film we will watch, and then we’ll watch the film. Students will be expected to work through questions while watching the film and will be expected to have thoughtful discussions about its themes. At the end of the course, students will complete a project. 

Recommended for rising students in Grades 8-12

Instructor: Mrs. Stephanie Stockwell, Fine Arts Faculty
Course Dates: July 27-31
Course Times: Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Cost: $300/Student
Location: Notre Dame Art Room

Description
Middle and high school students will have the opportunity to learn about the elements of art- focusing heavily on form, texture and value. They will create portraits of their prized pets (or any animal) using what they have learned during the course. As students gain confidence, they will work in more difficult mediums, culminating in a black scratchboard portrait of their animal.